Akron in Summit County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Astronaut Judith Resnik
"The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future and we'll continue to follow..."
President Ronald Reagan
As the second American woman in space, Judith Resnik (1949-1986) paved the way for the future of women in space exploration. A gifted science and music student and valedictorian of Firestone High School's class of 1966, she earned a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1977 and was accepted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as an astronaut candidate in 1978. Her first flight was on the inaugural mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1984. Resnik was aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger as a mission specialist on January 28, 1986, when it exploded just 73 seconds after lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All seven crewmembers died in the explosion.
Erected 2003 by The Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The International Paper Company Foundation, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 24-77.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Education • Exploration • Science & Medicine • Women. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #40 Ronald Reagan, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1941.
Location. 41° 7.171′ N, 81° 33.998′ W. Marker is in Akron, Ohio, in Summit County. Marker is at the intersection of Fairfax Road and Rampart Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Fairfax Road. Marker is adjacent to the Firestone High School parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 333 Rampart Avenue, Akron OH 44313, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Gate Lodge, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens (approx. 0.9 miles away); Treaty of Fort McIntosh Boundary Line (approx. 1.2 miles away); Elm Court / Our Lady of the Elms (approx. 1.3 miles away); Yeck Family Portage Path North Terminus Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); 1797 Portage Path Survey (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Portage Path Connected Lake Erie with the Ohio River (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Old Portage Path (approx. 1.4 miles away); Portage Path North Terminus (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Akron.
Also see . . . Judith Resnik. Jewish Virtual Library website entry (Submitted on June 19, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 19, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,074 times since then and 85 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 19, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.